Is mahogany appropriate for ramrods?

[satwel]

I have come into a supply of mahogany boards 5 ft long and 3/4" thick. Half of them have a perfectly straight grain that runs parallel to the edges. Is mahogany a good wood for ramrods? I was thinking of running the best board through the table saw to make a 3/4" x 3/4" square blank and starting from there. I don't remember seeing any reference to a mahogany ramrod so I wanted to ask you guys in case it would be a waste of time.

Thanks

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You can and should give it a try, but I suspect the answer is a big NO.

[Daryl]

I concur. I believe the growth-rings which really don't happen, have very poor "glue" thus creating a brittle wood with poor flexibility, which will be prone to breaking straight across if stressed, very similar to ramin. Ramin is much stronger than mahogany but still a poor ramrod material. In larger diameters, you can get by with ramin, however.

[Tim Crosby]

 I would think not, some depends on the Kind of Mahogany too. Rather than sawing it I would take and old Butcher knife or the like and try splitting it out so you don't cut the grain but run with it. Being sawed and  3/4" is not a good start.

   Tim C.

[Craig Wilcox]

Mahogany, in general, is a bit brittle and splintery.  But it does steam bend readily, and takes many different finishes quite well.
As mentioned, try splitting out some 3/8" x 3/8" pieces, see how it splits.  Just worried about it splitting under compressive pressure, and perforating your paw.

[FALout]

Unless it’s been sitting around for awhile, it could be Sapele not that it matters.  Some mahogany can have lots of internal tension so watch when cutting if it starts to bind up.  Make one and see what it would take to break it.

[heinz]

You can do lots of wonderful things with mahogany like that. Ramrods however are not one of them

[Clint]

About thirty years ago, my wife and I were in Costa Rico and we were waiting for a bus. Sitting on the loading dock, at a freight station, I asked a local man what those BIG pine trees were. He said they were mahogany, the same as the loading dock. It was only then that I notices that the entire dock was built from large Honduras mahogany timbers. It is used in Centro America for the things we would use Yellow pine or Douglas fir for. Not good for ram rods, but great for tool boxes and chisel handles.

[Daryl]

One thing about it, is it likely will not splinter, but break straight across. The short little points in the break will not penetrate very far', if THAT is a consolation.

[heinz]

Canadians have such a positive outlook.

[satwel]

Thanks for the replies. I will stick with hickory ramrods. There doesn't seem to be any good reason to use mahogany. I'm glad I asked before trying it.

Cheers

[Scota4570]

I made a stock out of it recently.  It was prone to splintering and did work well. 

[Jerry]

I have never heard of mahogany, but a friend of mine would take all the Purple Heart wood that I could get for ram rods.

[Marcruger]

Gibson guitars made (maybe still makes) guitars with quite a bit of mahogany in them.  Including necks.  I cannot tell you how many Gibsons came into the guitar shop with repaired, snapped off headstocks.  You never see that with maple necks on Rickenbackers and Fenders.  I would shy away from using that mahogany on things that take pressure.....like ramrods.  Easy to strip out screws in that wood too.  God Bless,   Marc